Social insects with complex societies like honeybees and army ants are cool – but how, and why, do they exist at all? Eusociality represents a major transition in evolution: understanding the origins, mechanisms and function of social behaviour provides important insights into one of the most fascinating phenomena in the natural world.
Wasps are ideal organisms that can be studied to understand the evolution of sociality – how did large societies evolve, and what are the mechanisms by which social behaviour arises? We use a range of techniques to address these questions, including -omics studies and behavioural observations. Not only do we study wasps with regards to social evolution, but also their relationships with people, how they may be effective in agriculture, and how they have evolved such a vast diversity of lifestyles (the majority being solitary). While wasps are our favourites, all Hymenoptera are welcome here!
Read more about our main research themes and approaches: